So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

niel

the answer for me is that it's worse than i thought and i'll bet quite a few others have had just as bad, if not worse, of a winter. a local station reported that from the beginning of the year until now it stacks up like this,
jan.> 27 days of rain or snow out of 31 days.
feb.> 25 days of rain or snow out of 28 days.
mar.> 19 days of rain or snow out of 21 days so far.
totals> 71 days of rain or snow out of 80 days.:grr

i'd have loved to see december's stats, but they didn't go that far back. i suppose i might be able to find that out with some digging.

as to how much was snow, well let me tell you first of all our usual yearly average is around 42 inches. (or was 43???)
since oct. 1, 2012 we have had 50.4 inches and we are supposedly going to get more so we aren't done yet.
our temps are supposed to be around the low 50s with lows around 32 at this time of year and we are typically running 15 degrees below normal as of late. it's hard to believe we did have 1 day a few weeks back that was sunny and 74 degrees. i enjoyed that.

good thing i'm not off grid or i'd have had a really rough time of it.

i'm over it already.

Cariboocoot

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

What do you mean "over it"? It snowed last night!

O Canada ....

niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Cariboocoot wrote: »

What do you mean "over it"? It snowed last night!

O Canada ....

that doesn't mean winter is over as it is more a sarcastic remark meaning i've more than had my fill of it already and it needs to end.

ftr, it's flurries here now.

Cariboocoot

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Of the three years we've lived here, this last Winter has been the snowiest by far.

And we've seen flurries in August some years up here.

It has not been nice all 'round the world from what reports I've seen (knowing people in many places).

Slappy

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Highly disappointed. Here in N.east TN just a slight dusting a few times sense winter started
The snow will come straight at us then split and goes all around then joins back together on the other side. Like a doughnut hole in the cloudy radar. So so sad.

NorthGuy

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Since the beginning of year we had 19 days with snow and 23 days without clouds.

And it's snowing all day today

Photowhit

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

I think Winters seem longer as I get older...

This year in Missouri we had 3 seperate snows of 8" or more, enough to advise people to stay home and close schools, but nothing like the 19" at once of a couple years ago, when I was snow bound in my cabin for 4 1/2 days straight, I saw people once during that time, when a humvee came in to transport out someone who had a heart problems, and it blew a transmisson on the last hill and had to have another come in. I stood by the road and waved, they didn't stop or ask how I was or anything... We finally hire a dozer to come in and plow the roads.

This one never had me cabin or house bound, though I was glad my neighbor plowwed my drive after the last 2, though I had would have had to shovel 150 feet of wet snow to make it to work, I had set an alarm and was prepared to do it. (I actually had done the porch and to the car around the car and maybe 30 feet the night before. the second time I parked much closer to the road..we live and learn.

I can't recall what kind of December we had, though I think the lakes froze over and we lost the ducks then, I know it wasn't great around the holidays, as I was feeling pewny finishing up the power center. I can recall my first winter at the park the lake had been frozen over for 3 weeks before Christmas, that must have been in 2002? But until 2007(from 99) I was spending much of Winter in Florida doing craft shows or other odds and ends.

They are saying we could get as much as 4" Sunday, but it won't last long if we do.

gww1

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Last year I could believe in global warming, this year "I don't know". I was a teenager in the late 70's, dayjavou. See if you can reconize my spelling tallent.
Cheers
gww

icarus

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

We were -()35C the other night, been consistently ~ -20 overnight. We did see freezing for a few hours yeasterday, but today is back below with flurries (again, 25 cm this week alone!)

Tony

Muskoka

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

I'm in an area that traditionally gets a lot of snow. The first 5 years I was here I still had snow in the shaded areas until the first week of May. The last 5 years the snow has pretty much been gone by April.

I fly RC planes and helicopters, and this week last year we were out flying in our shorts and t shirts, temps were in the mid 20's Celsius. Yesterday I went out and measured the snow base around my place, and it's still 32" deep. This morning was -13 Celsius. At least the sun is shining bright.

December, January and most of February well horrible for sun this winter in my area. My generators were running far too much for my liking. I have another 1.2kw of panels to go up as soon as the snow goes away, and the ground thaws.

Glen

niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

photowhit,
i believe you hit on the feel of it best as it wasn't anything devastating, but more of a consistent annoyance as it was spread out and hence the more days without sun we've had. the cloudy days do not come into play though with what i posted as those days had rain or snow in them and not just being overcast. i believe there were 3 days of note that exceeded 50 degrees with sun which includes the 74 degree day i mentioned.

ggunn

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

FWIW, here in Austin we had one of the mildest winters I can recall. A few light freezes and that was it. It sleeted once for about 10 minutes. It got into the 90's once or twice in February. I never put my summer shirts away.

solar_dave

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

It was a tad cooler here this winter with one good deep frost killing off lots of plants (I have a Ficus Nitida that may be a goner) and heat pump usage is up year over year. Solar production is within 0.5 % year over year so just noise. The garden is in, strawberry are blooming, some flowers on the tomato and beans, in general it is staring to pop and in a couple weeks we might even have some produce. It was hot early with mid 90's F in March but more normal this week, that sort of bodes for a scorcher of a summer.

I just can't imagine moving back to Denver, CO or Grand Rapids, MI, my old bones don't take the cold very well. I do feel for the snow bound amongst you.

vtgoingsolar

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

In the northeast US (VT) its been a crappy Dec-Jan-Feb and looking like March too from a solar perspective.

Dec 64% of target
Jan 63%
Feb 60%
March thus far 58%

Overall.. crappy after a stellar prior year. I was around 11% over estimates after about 1.5 years of having the panels and now approaching the 2 year anniversary.. i've eaten into the lifetime value to be around 4% over.. Even in the months that have low estimates.. only getting 50% has an effect.

Hopefully we have a spring and summer and fall like last year... over estimates nicely each month. With usage below 250/month, most months I am ahead and get a nice check from the power company at more than the going rate. I'm not complaining.

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firerescue712

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

We have had two snows this season over 6 inches. One was last night. The temperatures remained above freezing through most of the winter. At least the heater did not work hard this winter.

westbranch

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Just back from the cabin: PV input Report:

a massive 6 days out of last 60 produced any measurable input from the MX60 records, since hooking up a maintenance array of 2 x 120W. Total 3.6 kwh Works out to ~ 3hrs of good sun per PV input day
At home we had a great amount f overcast and snow for the same period...

Photowhit

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Well our Sunday prediction just went from 1-4 to 6-8" acording to NOAA. I'll have to put my sleeping bag back in my car, still haven't taken the snow shovels out (I tossed in my steel/aluminum one for work) Looks like it'll work out OK for me should go through the day, so likely the office will close and ask me to come in early, if I have to spend the night the laundry room has a couch. My tiny front wheel drive car is pretty good in snow, but once it gets to 4" I'll start plowing and it's over.

Photowhit

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Almost 8" of snow today, in central Missouri, Just 180(?) days until Fall!
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niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

same system has arrived here and it is snowing quite a bit. initially they said 3-6 inches and now i'm seeing 4-8 inches by tv broadcasts. local cable weather channel says 3-5 tonight and 2-4 during the day tomorrow. going by that it would be 5-9 inches.

solarvic

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Niel. At least one good thing moght come out of winter hanging on. We might get some fruit trees to bear this year. Last year it got warm too soon and the fruit trees blossomed too soon and froze. You couldn,t find an apple anywhere and hardly any cider. I got stuck with that 2011 HHR so many times that I traded for a new AWD Subaru Legacy. Got it last Wednesday and didn,t have to wait till next year to drive it in snow. I think I am 80 or so miles farther North from you and the bands of snow have been going south to you. Enjoy!! solarvic

niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

solarvic,
seems the first forecast was the accurate one with about 5 inches locally and it is melting faster being closer to the + side of the freezing mark. what i got will soon be gone while yours accrues interest staying below freezing.:-):p

it could still happen with the trees blooming prematurely. i've thought of putting an apple tree in the back, but i've allot of deer here now as it is and i can imagine what would happen with the tree dropping apples occasionally as it would be like 500 people applying for a single job position.

westbranch

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Niel, get out some pig wire to protect your tree(s), that will minimize the browsing damage. next year if this is a repeat problem look into "snow fence" a heavy duty vinyl mesh used for making fencing visible to wild life where barbed wire is used.

this is the stuff: http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Hardware/Farm-Supplies/Fence-Products/Fences/Safety-Snow/4-x-50-Orange-Plastic-Snow-Fence/_/N-ntjl8Z2pq1/R-I5422152

solarvic

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Niel, Did you see the long range forecast for our area? On channel 21, Youngstown they gave the long range forecast till May. Below average temp to the 3rd week of April and then back to below for the last week. Then we should have a normal may. Wait and see. ,ll bet some of the members where winter is longer than ours are laughing at us. I don,t think it got down to -0f here this winter. just that winter hangs on longer than usual. Some times I thing the global warming is a way some have found a way to make money. I believe it is normal for our world to have climate change. Too many pencil pushers thinking up this stuff. Here is a good story about a local resturant. It burnt down. It cost them way more to rebuild because of the pencil pushers that they are having a hard time making enough money to do all of what the pencil pushers made them do. They made them put in a sewer system that replaced a septic system that was working ok. So this new sewer plant had a bad odor. They found out the system is too big to operate corectly for the amount of waste that is generated by thier resturant. So now they have to have a septic tank cleaner deliver them a load of poop every month so the sewage plant will operate correctly without odors. Isn,t this a shame caused by the pencil pushers. solarvic

niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

solarvic,
sorry as the hillside is blocking reception from your area and i did not see that. i could probably look it up online, but i'll take your word for it. btw, i inferred nothing of global warming and i'm not sure what the restaurant and pencil pushers have to do with our winter weather.

westbranch,
even if i followed your advice it would still attract many more deer and i don't want whole herds coming here. the land is on a steep slope and if they should pop down to where the house is, there's the possible damages to the property as well as hurting the deer and it may just prove difficult for some to make it back up the hill. those apples would fall and roll to the house and after they consume those that lay on the hill they would make their way toward the house to go after the ones that rolled down all of the way. it is bad enough that they could have trouble even leaping out of there. i thought of fencing things off up there, but they can leap most fencing in the down direction.

Eric L

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

We got it last night here on the gulf coast with a very late freeze (coldest overnight temp. for the date since 1894). The winter had been pretty mild until late Feb, and I had defied nature to actually get cold again by planting a lot of tomatoes, eggplant, basil, peppers. I knew when I saw ice on my solar panels this morning that those plants were going to be be hurting, and they were.

ggunn

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Eric L wrote: »

We got it last night here on the gulf coast with a very late freeze (coldest overnight temp. for the date since 1894). The winter had been pretty mild until late Feb, and I had defied nature to actually get cold again by planting a lot of tomatoes, eggplant, basil, peppers. I knew when I saw ice on my solar panels this morning that those plants were going to be be hurting, and they were.

Sorry to hear that. It got pretty chilly here in Austin Sunday - Tuesday nights, but it managed to stay above freezing in the city. It froze in the hill country west of town, though. Still, I'm glad I hadn't planted the basil yet.

NorthGuy

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

Eric L wrote: »

We got it last night here on the gulf coast with a very late freeze (coldest overnight temp. for the date since 1894). The winter had been pretty mild until late Feb, and I had defied nature to actually get cold again by planting a lot of tomatoes, eggplant, basil, peppers. I knew when I saw ice on my solar panels this morning that those plants were going to be be hurting, and they were.

We also got our "coldest for the day" temperature few days ago. It's been -23C. It's been very sunny though.

niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

ggunn wrote: »

Sorry to hear that. It got pretty chilly here in Austin Sunday - Tuesday nights, but it managed to stay above freezing in the city. It froze in the hill country west of town, though. Still, I'm glad I hadn't planted the basil yet.

wow, how much basil do you need that it needs to be outside in the ground? i've got a small pot that had multiple basil plants in it for years now. the pot i used was too small too so only one plant is still going today. my guess would be about 8-9yrs now in that small pot. a larger pot could hold many plants and they can get several feet high and would last for many years if you keep it properly watered and such. when it's too cold bring it inside.

Photowhit

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

I can't recall any sub-zero temps this year, we normaly have 1 or 2 systems push our temps 5-10 degrees below zero, but we have had more snow than we've seen in a while and cold enough that it stayed on the ground. Perhaps it's some conspiracy by those farther north so we can relate to seeing snow on the ground for more than 3 months...

Most will be gone today and highs around 60 and rain for the weekend, and they took out the snow chances for Monday and Wed, though I've never known a weatherman to be right 3 times in a row...lol

ggunn

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

niel wrote: »

wow, how much basil do you need that it needs to be outside in the ground? i've got a small pot that had multiple basil plants in it for years now. the pot i used was too small too so only one plant is still going today. my guess would be about 8-9yrs now in that small pot. a larger pot could hold many plants and they can get several feet high and would last for many years if you keep it properly watered and such. when it's too cold bring it inside.

I use a lot of it. It takes a lot of basil to make a pesto and I put whole leaves of it in salads.

niel

Re: So has it been as bad of a winter as it seems?

ggunn,
in that case then maybe go with a covering to prevent frost damages.

photowhit,
we can see an occasional dip below 0 here, but i don't think we did this year even though i know it was close a few times. we are just lower in temp in general and by the average and we are currently up to the lower 50s now. trouble is it should be around the upper 50s to 60 by now. what snow we had on the ground melted quickly and is an advantage to this time of the year even if it still snows occasionally.

for the record we are now at 57.4in for the season so far.